Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Thursday paid a sympathy visit to the Bola Ige International Market, Ibadan, which was gutted by fire on Wednesday, pledging that his administration would upgrade the market and bring it back to its international standard.
It would be recalled that the market went up in flames on Wednesday, destroying properties worth several millions of Naira.
The governor expressed dissatisfaction with the present situation of the business complex, the biggest in the city of Ibadan and which was named after the Second Republic Governor of the state, the late Chief Bola Ige.
He said that the upgrade would involve sinking of boreholes before the end of May to make water available to the traders in the market.
Ajimobi also promised to rehabilitate the fire station within the market premises and connect it with the boreholes to be sunk, when completed.
Besides, he said that the upgrade would also involve relocating some traders from the market, which he said was already congested, adding, however, that proper arrangement would be made for the provision of an alternative place where those affected would be moved to.
The governor also promised to offset the huge electricity bill incurred by the traders, which had left the market without electricity for some time now, warning, however, that the traders should constantly pay their electricity bills to avoid future disconnections.
While sympathising with the victims of the inferno, the governor promised that government would assist them financially to mitigate their losses.